Keep Running
by sixbucksandadrpepper
Summary: My Chemical Romance, younger years. Gerard Way and Emerson Quick are in love, and in trouble after running away from Em's alcoholic father. They think they're escaping, but in reality they've only made things worse.
1. Chapter 1

**Keep Running**

The two teenagers huddled together on the carpeted floor, the boy holding the girl close, stroking away her tears. The room was dark and lined with old rock posters. The girl clung to his chest, sobs wracking her small frame. He brushed the long black hair from her eyes and whispered in her ear.

"Forget him, Em. It's over now."

The boy's hair was just as black as hers, his face just as pale as hers. They looked very much alike, other than their eyes. His were hazel, hers a remarkable blue. Ice blue.

As her tears subsided, the boy kissed the top of her head tenderly. He loved her so much, but she didn't even know it. She would know one day though, he was sure of it. The girl looked up at him with those big blue eyes.

"Gerard, I don't want to go back there. I'm afraid of him."

"Then don't go back. Stay here with me. I'll keep you safe tonight."

"Really?"

"Really."

She sighed and leaned her head back down on the boy's chest. She was quiet a minute before whispering once more.

"Gerard?"

"Mm?"

"Promise me you'll never, ever drink. Okay?"

"I promise, Em. I would never do that to you."

"Good."

She let out a contented noise and closed her eyes. As long as Gerard never broke that promise, everything would be okay.

**Gerard's POV**

I looked forward to every weekday afternoon, at about three o'clock, when Em would barge into my room and flop herself down on my bed. She would complain about all the people at school and about her teachers. I would normally be at my desk writing or drawing, and I would listen with a sympathetic ear until she was finished. After her rant, we'd either head out to do something or stay in my room just enjoying each other's company.

Emerson Quick and I had been neighbors since she was seven and I was nine. I remember the day she and her family had moved in just as clearly as if it was yesterday. I had been outside with my younger brother Mikey when Em's van had pulled into the driveway next to ours. Curious, I had watched as a tiny girl had leapt from the van. I was immediately captivated.

Her long brown hair clashed violently against her ghostly pale skin. I remember that. I also remember the look on her face when she spotted me and Mikey. Her whole face just lit up, and she marched over to us right away, not intimidated whatsoever.

"My name's Emerson, I like cats, and I don't like people."

That first sentence she had said had been stuck in my head since then. Also the look of pure innocence, but also of something I couldn't quite place, that rested in her eyes.

We'd been inseparable since that day, al throughout elementary, middle, and high school. I had graduated two years prior, and Emerson was a senior this term. Even though I'm two years older (I'm nineteen, she's seventeen), it hasn't made a difference in our friendship. The only problem was that I loved her. Not just like the best friend that she was, but as more than that. I wanted so badly for her to feel the same about me, but she didn't even know how I felt about her, so how could she?

My thoughts were interrupted as Emerson herself burst through my bedroom door, just as planned. It was Friday, so she was full of smiles. I watched her carefully, thinking how much she'd changed. Her once natural brown hair was now permanently dyed black, she wore thick black eyeliner, and she had her nose pierced. She had a punk sense of style. But those were all things I loved about her.

"Hey gee," she chirped, ditching her school bag among the other various crap that covered the floor. I spun around in my chair to give her a big hug. I noticed that she looked extra beautiful today (although Emerson was one of those people who could wear a paper bag and still look fantastic). Her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, and the long fringe of bangs fell into her eyes when she leaned over to hug me. I reached up to push them away and she smiled that dazzling smile she had.

"You look nice," I said cautiously. "Going somewhere?"

Emerson blushed and ducked her head. "You caught me. I'm actually going out tonight."

I frowned. "On a date?"

She nodded, a smile lighting up her face. "My first real date, yes! I'm so nervous." She bit her lower lip distractedly. Damn. I turned away.

"When do you leave?"

She glanced at the clock on my wall before answering. "Actually, in about ten minutes. So I suppose I should be going."

I nodded. _Try and be happy for her, Gerard._ "Good luck, Em. Come tell me about it tomorrow."

She grinned and hugged me once more before leaping over the bedroom floor and leaving. I was left staring at the spot where she'd just been standing. I sighed pathetically. Just watch, I scolded myself. She's going to go and fall in love with this kid and I'll have missed my chance. I need to tell her. I suddenly felt extremely hopeless. Mikey was gone with my parents for the night, so I was totally alone. I stood up and walked into the kitchen, opening the liquor cabinet. I then found myself breaking the one promise Emerson had asked of me those few short years ago, as I poured the alcohol down my throat, the burn punishing me for my mistake.

**Emerson's POV**

I stomped angrily up my driveway, pausing only to flip the bird to the dark haired boy who had dropped me off. As he sped away, his tires screeched loudly against the asphalt. Arsehole. Our first date, and he'd tried to grab me and make out with me, in public. I barely even knew him! Needless to say, I wouldn't be seeing him again. I had only been thinking of Gerard the whole time anyways. I glanced over at the Way's house, looking for the light that I knew would be shining in his room. There it was, I could see it from the window. I stood there for a moment, wondering whether I should interrupt him or not. He always wrote at night. I decided against it; I'd see him tomorrow, after all.

I shoved my way inside my house. As soon as I stepped inside, I knew I should've gone to Gerard's. The overwhelming stench of alcohol hit and I could see my father's drunken form slumped against the hallway wall.

"Where the hell have you been?"

Oh no. Not again.

Okay, I guess I should explain. My name is Emerson Quick, I'm seventeen, and I live in New Jersey with my alcoholic father. My mum left us when I was twelve, because she and my dad didn't get on well at all. I haven't heard from her since. I remember the first time my father took to the bottle. I'd spent that whole night huddling in my room, sobbing for the mother I'd thought had loved me. I'd wished so hard for her to come back and take me away from this place. I never got my wish. My father's been a drunk ever since. I hate him. I know it may sound awful to say that I hate the only parent I have, but I do. I really do. You'd hate him too, if you had to deal with him.

The abuse started when I was about thirteen and a half. My father was completely washed up the night it started, and for some reason thought it'd be fun to beat the shit out of his only daughter. He did this now even when he wasn't drunk. When he was, it only got worse. I remember running to Gerard's house, bruises and welts covering my arms and legs. He would hold me tight and promise me he'd always be there for me. And he was.

Now that I was older, I spent more time at the Way's house than I did my own. When I was at home, I hid in my bedroom, satisfying my creative tendencies by drawing for hours. I normally could get up to my room without my dad noticing. But then there were nights like these.

"I was out on a date. Yes, a date, daddy dearest. My first date, and you couldn't even be bothered to care." I knew I was being testy, but he was going to hurt me no matter what I said. So I might as well speak my mind.

The first blow came quickly, a hard slap across the face. I gasped and pressed my hand to my burning cheek. I hadn't expected him to move that fast. Maybe I should be careful. Even though it was dark, I knew exactly where he was. Right in front of me.

"What did you say to me?"

"I said, I was on a date."

"You whore!" he screeched and shoved my down, cracking my head sharply on the tile floor. I moaned. Fuck. Tonight was going to be bad.

I heard him take a swig from the beer bottle he had in hand and I prepared myself for the next hit. If you're wondering why I don't try and fight back, here's why. It's not that I'm some sort of weakling, not at all. It's just that he's a very large man. I wouldn't stand a chance.

Then next shot came to the ribs with the toe of his boot, and then he broke the glass bottle over my head. I shrieked as stars exploded in my vision. I felt the beer mixed with war blood from my scalp trickle down my already stinging cheek. I had never once cried when he was beating me before, but now the tears started coming and they wouldn't stop.

"Why the fuck are you crying? Shut up!" the madman standing over me screamed. He kicked me one final time before staggering off to the kitchen, where he'd pass out like always.

I there in agony for a minute before dragging myself to my feet. I needed to get to Gerard. I tried to take a deep breath, but my bruised ribs throbbed painfully. I commanded my body to move. To Gerard. Now.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Gerard's POV**

I slumped over onto my desk, the alcohol raging through my body. I wasn't used to the intoxication, but it helped numb the pain of the thought of Emerson out with someone else. I jumped at the sound of pounding on my bedroom door, the locked knob rattling. What the fuck? Then I heard her voice.

"Gerard! Oh my god, please Gee, let me in!"

It took me a moment to register that I actually needed to get up to unlock the door. I stumbled over to the door and opened it. Even in my drunken state, the sight that met my eyes pained my heart. Emerson stood before me, her black hair matted at the scalp with blood. Blood also covered her cheek, and a nasty welt was forming underneath it. Her bastard drunk of a father… shit. Here I was, supposed to be the one to help her, and I was drunk. Just like her dad.

"Emerson…" She moved to step towards me, but then froze. She raised her eyes up to mine, and they widened in horror.

"Oh my god. Gerard," Em choked, her eyes filling with tears. "You're drunk."

"Em, I can explain. I-ˮ

"No, shut up. You promised me you would never. How could you do this to me? On the night I needed you most!" Her voice rose, becoming hysterical. I stepped towards her, but she backed away, fear glittering in her eyes. Oh god. She was afraid of me. My sweet Emerson, who had trusted me to the end of the world. Now she'd never speak to me again. That would kill me. I hated myself so much right now for not being able to help her, to kiss away her pain.

"I- I have to go," she whispered, swiping angrily at the tears that slid down her cheeks. Even though she was injured, Emerson fled from my doorway as fast as she could. Once again, I was left staring after her.

**Emerson's POV**

Oh my god. Oh god. No. Not Gerard too. I can't deal with this. I ran from his house, ignoring the stabbing pain from my ribs and the throbbing in my head. I stopped on my doorstep and forced myself to stop crying. What was the point of crying when there was no one to wipe away my tears? What a depressing thought, I said to myself. Because if there wasn't even anyone there to wipe away my tears, that meant there was no one there for me at all. So what, I asked myself, is the point of living? Anyone I had ever loved had hurt or betrayed me. So at this point, I had no purpose in life any longer.

_So why not just end your life? You know where your father's pistol is. Wouldn't it be grand to take a pistol by the hand? Wouldn't it be great if you were dead?_

_ But I can't do that to Gerard. It would tear him apart. I mean, I love him, for chrissake. I can't do that._

_Gerard betrayed you when you needed him most. Think about it. Would he really care if you were dead?_

I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the voice that kept speaking to me. I knew what I had to do. I let myself in my house, and breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of my dad's drunken snores coming from the kitchen. I crept down the hallway to his room. I knew exactly where his pistol was: in his sock drawer. But it wasn't loaded. A year ago I had taken the bullets from the gun and hidden them in my room.

A shiver shot through my body as I picked up the pistol, the metal of the barrel cold against my sweaty palms. My whole body was shaking as I entered my bedroom. I shuffled over to my desk and ripped open one of the drawers where the bullets were hidden. There, in a box underneath a stack of photos of me and Gerard. I picked the photos up, feeling the tears returning. I couldn't help but flip through them, remembering when each of them had been taken. My sixteenth birthday at Gerard's house, with him hugging me tight as I blew out the candles on the cake he'd made me. Ray and Mikey were in the background, making silly faces at the camera. Frank had taken that picture. Christmas at Gerard's, with me wearing a Santa hat on the couch, asleep with my head in Gee's lap. I smiled and touched the picture softly. It was one of my favorites of us. The way Gerard as looking down at me and stroking my hair made me all tingly…

_Stop. Put the pictures down. Do what you came here to do. Finish this off._

I reached for the box of bullets, my fingers slipping. I only needed one to do the job. One shot to the temple. I slid the bullet home into its compartment and cocked the gun. I gasped as the cold metal touched my head.

_Pull the trigger. Do it. Now._

No. I couldn't do it. As much as I hated Gerard for betraying me like this, he was the only one I had. I couldn't leave him. With a cry of anguish, I threw the gun down to the floor and leapt into my bed, screaming silently into my pillow. I couldn't believe what I'd nearly done.

**Gerard's POV**

When I awoke the next morning, I had the worst headache ever. Oh yeah. This is what they call a hangover. Although I don't think that last night's alcohol was the only thing causing the pain; part of it was knowing that Emerson probably hated me. I needed to tell her. Oh god, how I loved her. I pried myself away from my pillow, holding my throbbing head in my hands. After locating a couple of aspirin, I pulled on clean clothes (there was no way in hell that I'd go to Em's smelling of alcohol) and my Converse. Before I left, I brushed my teeth to get rid any traces of last night. After that, I ducked out quietly, not wanting to wake Mikey or my parents, who had returned home early that morning. It was about ten a.m., so I hoped Em's bastard father would be gone for the day. He had his routine: wake up, leave to go to one bar or another, return home drunk as fuck, beat Emerson if she happened to show up, pass out, repeat. I shuddered at the thought of anyone laying a hand on my Em. Sure enough, old man Quick's truck wasn't in their driveway. Good. I had one the spare keys to the house that Em had given me and I used that to let myself in. I let my feet carry me to Emerson's room where I found her lying asleep in her bed. I looked around. Her room was very much the same as mine. Old Misfits and Black Flag posters were tacked all over the walls, and there were random objects all over the place. There was a picture that Em had framed sitting on her desk. In the photo, Em was sitting on the floor surrounded by tiny kittens, a huge grin on her face. I had taken that picture a couple years ago, when Em was about fourteen. She loved to go to the animal shelter to play with those kittens. She adored cats, but her father refused to let her have one.

My eyes slid from the photo to something shiny lying on the floor and I gasped, staggering backwards. A shiny silver pistol lay discarded on the floor. I freaked out for a second, thinking Em was dead, until I saw her chest rise and fall normally. There was no fresh blood either, just the blood that had caked on her scalp from last night. I bent down, and sure enough, the gun was loaded. One bullet. Just enough to deliver one deadly shot. I shut my eyes tight, pushing away images of Emerson lying on the floor, her blood covering the carpet, her eyes vacant and stained. I must have made some sort of noise subconsciously, because up on the bed Emerson was waking up. She yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Gerard?" she asked sleepily.

"Oh jeez, Emerson," I cried, and catapulted myself onto her bed, wrapping her tightly in my arms. I never wanted to let her go.

"Um," she said after a minute. "You're squishing me, Gee."

"Oh shit. Sorry!" I released her from my death grip. She stared at me coldly for a minute before her hard look turned to sadness.

"What happened last night, Gee? Tell me. Why did you get drunk?"

I blushed. I had to tell her. "Okay Em, the thing is, when you told me you had a date, I kind of went mental. I hate myself for not telling you before now, but… I love you, Emerson. I always have. I couldn't stand the thought of you loving someone else. So I was dumb and broke our promise." I paused to see how she was taking this. She was staring down at her bed sheets that she was twisting into knots in her lap. When she looked up, there was a single tear sliding down her porcelain cheek. I leaned forward and wiped it away, touching her face softly. Before I could pull my hand away, Emerson reached up and placed her hand on top of mine. She held it there for a second before slowly lowering both our hands, intertwining her fingers with mine. And then she smiled. No, grinned. A full face grin that made her eyes shine even brighter.

"Want to know something?" she asked. I nodded fiercely and she leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "I love you too." My breath caught, and I wound my arms around her slim waist and hugged her tight. We stayed in this embrace unmoving for quite a while before she reluctantly drew away. Em sat back on her knees, a look of concentration on her face.

"What are you thinking, Em?" I asked softly. She looked up sharply, her eyes blazing.

"Gerard. Let's run away, together. I can't stay here any longer. This place is killing me. Please, take me away from here. We can take your car to Frank's, and from there we could drive to Florida! Remember Ray's friend, Bob? We can stay at his house there until we find something better. C'mon, Gee. Let's get out of here."

I sat there silently, taking in Em's look of sheer determination. We didn't have that much money between the two of us, because she was still in school and I didn't have a job. But I needed to keep her safe. I ran my eyes over the blood that had dried in her black locks. She was right. Her bastard father was going to kill her. We needed to go.

"Okay. Pack what you need and I'll meet you outside in ten minutes. We'll get you cleaned up when we get to Frank's. I'll call him to let him know what's happening."

Emerson squealed and threw her arms around me. "Thank you, Gee," she mumbled into my hair before kissing me on the cheek.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Emerson's POV**

I was finally getting out of here! And with Gerard. My Gerard. The only person in the world I completely loved and trusted. I let out an excited yelp and spun around my room, tossing miscellaneous shit into a duffel bag. A few pairs of jeans, a few shirts, some pajamas. Oh, and all the photos of me and Gerard. I pulled on my red Converse before hobbling down the stairs (my ribs still hurt like a motherfucker) and out the front door to meet Gerard. I didn't even bother to bring my key with me, because I wasn't ever planning on coming back.

Gee wasn't outside yet (He was probably still getting ready. He was such a diva sometimes, I swear.), so I leaned against his battered Honda that sat parked at the curb. My stomach was turning itself in knots, and my palms were sweaty. I just wanted to get out of here so badly. A few minutes later, Gerard emerged from his house carrying a bag similar to mine. I grinned. He was wearing his black collared shirt with a red tie, and his raven hair fell over into his face as he shut the door. I felt myself bouncing up and down on the balls of my feet in anticipation. When Gee looked up and saw me standing there, he took one final look at his house before bounding down to front steps to me, planting a soft kiss of my cheek before unlocking the car.

"Just toss your stuff in the trunk," he instructed, sliding into the driver's seat. I did as I was told and joined him in the car.

"To Frank's?" I asked, excitement filling my voice. I was finally leaving.

"To Frank's," Gerard said decisively, pressing his foot down on the gas pedal. We pulled away from the curb one last time.

When we arrived at Frank Iero's house, which was just a few minutes from ours, he was waiting out front for us. As we got out of the car, Frank gave Gee a knowing look before coming over to me. He took my hand and led me inside so that he could help me clean the still present blood from my hair. Frank sat me down in a chair and attacked my head with a warm washcloth, making faces at the dried blood. I laughed swatting at him when he complained about my head being "icky". When he finally shut up, I observed him quietly. Frank and I had been friends almost as long as Gee and I. Gerard had introduced us when I was eleven, and we'd been super close ever since. I sighed. I was going to miss him.

"Okay Em, all fixed," he said, giving me a lopsided grin. I stood up and hugged him tight.

"Thanks, Frankie, you're a doll," I replied. "Where's Gee?"

"Raiding the kitchen, I think. He said something about wanting donuts…"

I slapped my forehead. "He always wants donuts. And coffee. I think there's something wrong with him."

Frank laughed. "Don't forget your major love for coffee too. Hypocrite!"

"That's true… I guess we were made for each other."

Frank gave me an odd look, before smiling sadly. "I'm sure gonna miss you guys. Try and keep in touch, yeah?"

"Aww, Frankie babe, we'll miss you too! But don't worry; we'll be back when I turn eighteen. Only six months," I latched onto him for one more hug. He rested his chin on the top of my head, pulling me closer.

"Alright. You guys be careful, okay? I don't want anything to happen to you…"

I nodded, pulling away from him slowly. "We'll be okay, Frankie. We'll make it."

"I hope so, Emerson."

I stared at him for a moment before turning. "G'bye, Frank."

**Gerard's POV**

We were finally on our way. Emerson was all cleaned up, we had some donuts (fuck yes), and we were on our way to Miami, Florida. Oh and did, I mention I had to most beautiful girl sitting next to me, flipping through radio stations? Em was apparently unhappy with everything that was being played on the radio, because she flicked it off with a huff and turned to me, widening her blue eyes. I knew what was coming next.

"Gee?"

"Mm?"

"Will you sing something for me? Everything on the tube is complete and utter shit."

I knew it. I could predict her so well. I turned to Em and smirked. "Why should I? I always sing. I think you should sing. I've never heard you do anything other than scream and shout songs at the top of your lungs. Very off key, I might add."

"That's my real singing voice," she said, winking. "Now please?"

How could I say no to those big pleading eyes? I couldn't. So I decided to sing a song I'd written. Written for her, as a matter of fact.

"Hand in mine, into your icy blues. And then I'd say to you we could take to the highway with this trunk of ammunition too. I'd end my days with you in a hail of bullets.  
>I'm trying; I'm trying to let you know just how much you mean to me. And after all the things we put each other through and I would drive on to the end with you. A liquor store or two keeps the gas tank full. And I feel like there's nothing left to do but prove myself to you and we'll keep it running.<p>

But this time, I mean it. I'll let you know just how much you mean to me…"

I stopped, taking a breath. That's as much as I'd written so far. I couldn't think of a good ending for it just yet. I glanced at Emerson to see how she'd liked it. She was looking up at me in awe. I grinned.

"I take it you enjoyed that?" I asked.

"That was beautiful! Did you write that?"

"Yes ma'am. I wrote it for you, er, us. It's not finished yet though. I admitted. Emerson strained against her seatbelt so she could lean over and press her lips to my cheek.

"It's wonderful. That's going to be our song now, okay?"

Her lips were oh-so distracting. I swerved accidentally and Em shrieked, falling back into her seat, laughing.

"Watch the road, you big doof!" she reprimanded me.

"Well pardon me, but the most stunning girl was distracting me," I pouted.

Em looked around in mock bewilderment. "Another girl? Where?"

I smacked my forehead. "I meant you, silly goose!"

She goggled softly and settled back into the passenger seat. After a minute in silence, she coughed, bringing my attention back to her.

"Gee?"

"Yes, Em?"

"Do you think my dad'll call the cops when he realizes I'm gone?" I heard worry flecked in her voice, even though I could tell she was trying to keep the mood light.

"I dunno. Maybe. I mean, you_ are_ his only daughter," I pointed out.

"That won't have crossed his mind before now," she muttered, ducking her head. "I can't imagine what he'd do to me if they find us."

"Emerson, listen to me. I'll never let them hurt you. You're safe with me." I carefully took one hand from the steering wheel to touch her arm gently.

"I believe you, Gee. I love you. Now sing me our song again?"

"Hand in mine, into your icy blues…"

**Emerson's POV**

The next time I opened my eyes, darkness filled Gee's car, and I was stiff all over. I guess I'd fallen asleep. I looked up at Gee, whose eyelids were slowly drooping. But he kept on driving. He wanted to get me away from New Jersey as fast as possible. I popped my head up to the window, trying to gage where we were. No luck.

"Gee?" I asked sleepily.

"Oh you're awake. Good. I need some company to keep me going."

I reached up to kiss his cheek. "You're doing fabulous, baby. I wish I had my license so I could share the driving time. By the way, where are we?"

"Mm, we've been driving since noon, and it's about one a.m., so probably about half way there. Give or take a few hours. We're kind of in the middle of nowhere at the moment though."

I giggled. "Obviously. I don't see any lights at all."

"Which sucks, because I could really go for a coffee right about now."

"You could always go for a coffee!" I teased, poking Gee playfully in his gut.

"Hush. I could say the same thing about you!"

I held my hands up in surrender. "Fine. You win. But seriously," I tried to keep a straight face. He grinned.

"Keep an eye out for a gas station, no matter how shitty. Not only for coffee, either. We are in desperate need of some fuel." Gerard tapped his finger on the gas gage. Empty. "We're running on fumes," he joked. I on the other hand, was a bit more serious about the gas situation. I shuddered at the thought of us being stuck in the middle of nowhere all night.

Gerard, seeing my distress, chuckled softly. "Don't worry Em. I'll get us to a gas station within the hour."

True to his word, we pulled into a lonely gas station not minutes later. The attendant was inside the mini mart like store, watching the news. Only one other person was there, a trucker who was leaning against his truck, smoking a cigar. Dumb arse, I thought. Smoking at a gas station.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**(still Emerson's POV)**

Gerard pulled his Honda into a pump nearest the store. "You stay in here. I'll start the gas pumping and run in and get us some coffee. And more donuts." He winked and got out of the car. Before he could shut the door, I stopped him.

"Wait, Gee!" He ducked his head back in the car, giving me a cheeky grin. I held my hands out to him and he leaned in further. I took his pale face in my hands and kissed his chapped lips softly. "I love you."

He gave me one of his best smiles and touched my cheek. "I love you too, Em." And then he was gone, wandering over to the small store. I watched as he greeted the attendant with a wave of his hand and then lost sight of him as he disappeared around a shelf. No longer having anyone to watch, I began counting the cars that drove by. One, two, three. The fourth car pulled into the station. Even through the closed windows of Gee's Honda, I could hear the car rattling loudly. I couldn't see the driver, and I frowned as the car pulled to a stop at the curb. I watched as a tall man of about twenty five, wearing a hooded black jacket, stepped from the car. He walked with his head down towards the store, not taking any notice of the trucker (who had reentered his truck) or myself. He was starting to make me nervous. There was just something about him… THERE. The man reached into his back pocket and withdrew a shining silver pistol. Oh my god.

And there was Gerard. Stepping from the store holding two cups of steaming coffee and a bag of donuts. Totally oblivious to the dark figure approaching him, holding a gun. Until he was right upon him. I hauled myself over the center consul of the car and manually unlocked the car, opening the door slowly. I had to get out there.

"Stop! Don't move an inch or I'll shoot you dead!" I looked on in horror as the man waved his gun at Gerard. Oh Jesus. Not Gerard. Take me instead.

Gerard regarded the man calmly, even though I knew his insides were in knots. "Let me set this coffee down first, and then I'll hold still. It's burning my hands." I couldn't see the man's face, so I didn't know what his reaction was. Gerard bent at the waist, putting down the coffee cups and the plastic bag. Before he even had a chance to straighten up, the man lunged forward and pushed him up against the wall, covering Gee's mouth with his hand and shoving the gun into his stomach. Gee shut his eyes tight at the blow, doubling over.

"I said not to move, motherfucker!" the man screamed, cocking the gun. I slapped a hand over my mouth, holding back a scream of my own.

"And you!" the man turned the gun to the attendant on the inside of the store. "Don't you dare call the fuzz or I'll kill both of you!"

Gerard squirmed, catching my attention. His eyes met mine, telling me to stay where I was and not get noticed. Telling me everything was okay. Telling me he loved me.

"Don't. Fucking. Move!" the man rammed his gun hard into Gerard's stomach once more, bringing him to his knees. I heard Gee's muffled cry of pain. No. This man was not going to take Gerard from me. No fucking way.

**Gerard's POV**

Oh god, Emerson, just stay where you are. Please just stay where you are.

My stomach throbbed from the repeated punches that the armed man had delivered. He shoved the gun into my gut, making my gasp for breath. And then I heard her voice.

"Stop it! What do you want from us?"

Emerson had slid from the car and was walking towards us with purpose. No. This man was insane. He would kill us both. I had promised her… I felt the pressure of the man's hands release me and I fell to the ground, sputtering.

"Well, who do we have here?" I looked on helplessly as the man walked towards Em, still pointing the gun behind him at me. Em's eyes flicked to me and I shook my head urgently. I saw her falter, unsure of herself. But it was too late for her to turn back. The man had already reached her.

"What do you want from us?" Em repeated, her voice wavering. The man looked her up and down and licked his lips. I gagged, disgusted. Here he was, checking out my Em while pointing a gun at me. How pleasant, I thought bitterly.

"I want money. From them, anyways. From you, on the other hand…" the man reached out to touch her breast and Em jumped back, outraged.

"The fuck do you think you're doing? First you point a gun at my boyfriend, and then you try and touch me? You are one sick and twisted motherfu-ˮ

"You bitch! Shut up before I kill you!" The man lunged at her, taking her by surprise. He put a hand over her mouth and held onto her from behind, pressing the gun to her temple. He spun her around to face me.

"You haven't taught your girlfriend any manners, have you?" he shouted, addressing me. "I'll teach her! And since she is _yours, _I'll make you watch as I kill her. Right in fucking front of you! And if you even so much as make a sound, you'll be next, fucker!" Em struggled against the man's hold as he slid the hand covering her mouth down around her neck. A sob burst forth from her lips. "Any last words, bitch, before I kill you?" he whispered in her ear. Em raised her eyes to mine, tears streaming down her face.

"Gerard," she gasped. It was hard for her to speak with the arm around her throat. "I love you so much and I wish we could have had more time together. I-ˮ

"That's enough, slut! Say goodbye, _Gerard._" He spat my name and put his finger on the trigger. I shut my eyes, waiting for the shot, but then I heard the scuffling of feet against the pavement, and Em's shrieks for me. I opened my eyes to see the trucker wrestling with the man, the gun thrown a few feet away. Em was pushed to the ground, and scrambled over to me. That's when we heard the sirens. The police cars surrounded us, leaping from the cars to help the trucker with the madman. Em finally reached me, throwing her arms around my neck.

"Gee! Oh god, I was terrified he was going to kill you!" she sobbed. I pulled her in tight to my chest, stroking her hair.

"Shh, it's over Em, it's okay." She pulled back, her arms still around my neck, tears shining in her blue eyes.

"We have to leave before the cops come and talk to us," she whispered fiercely. I nodded, and scooped her up in my arms, not bothering to grab the long forgotten coffee and donuts. I understood why she wanted to get out of here. She was afraid the cops would recognize her as the runaway girl from Jersey City. That is, if her father had even noticed she was missing.

We jumped into my car just as the police were wrestling the man into a squad car, and we pulled away before they could even turn around.

**Emerson's POV**

I sat silently in gee's passenger seat, my head in my hands. I was still shaking. I couldn't get the images of the man with the gun out of my mind. Gerard must have noticed, because before long I felt the car glide to a stop on the side of an empty road.

"Emerson?" I could tell he was looking at me, so I raised my head and looked deep into his hazel eyes.

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking that I don't know what I would've done if that bastard would have shot you. I think I would've had to kill him with my bare hands."

I smiled. "I was thinking the same thing," I whispered, and leaned forward slowly, unbuckling my seat belt. Gee leaned in too, his eyes nervously flicking back and forth between my lips and my eyes. When our lips met, I melted into him. Our first real kiss. Damn, I had been waiting for this for so long. Our lips moved against each other, our tongues meeting. As the kiss became more passionate, Gee ran his hands up and down my sides. I sighed happily into the kiss and tangled my hands in his long hair. I began to slide my hands underneath his shirt, but I stopped myself. I couldn't have sex for the first time in a car, even if it was with Gee. I knew he would understand and not expect me to, because he knew that my virginity was the only thing that separated me from the sluts. I hated sluts. I reluctantly pulled my lips away from Gerard's, leaning my forehead against his.

"I can't do it yet. I want my first time to be special," I said in a rush, blushing. Gee smiled and kissed my nose.

"I know. Whenever you're ready," he replied, pulling me into a hug.

"I'm glad you understand," I whispered. The two of us crawled into the backseat and cuddled together to get some sleep. It had been a long day. I rested my head on Gee's chest and he stroked my hair gently.

"Hand in mine, into your icy blues. And then I'd say to you, we could take to the highway…" he sang softly. I drifted off, a contented smile on my face.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Gerard's POV**

I could tell Em was exhausted, so I sang our song to her as she fell asleep on my chest in the backseat of my car. I swear, she made the cutest noises in her sleep. As tired as I was, I couldn't persuade my body to settle down. The events previous to now had nearly sent me over the edge. Every time I tried to shut my eyes, the images of that bastard pointing the gun at me flooded my brain. And the look on Em's face as the man had threatened me. We had both thought we were going to lose each other. But luck had been on our side this time. I looked down at the beautiful girl curled against me and smiled. Everything would be okay from now on. I was sure of it…

I woke up some hours later, around seven o'clock, to a pounding on the car window. I opened my eyes to see a police officer peering in. The sun was shining bright behind him. What a beautiful day, I thought absentmindedly. I shook Em's shoulder lightly, waking her.

"Em, wake up. There's a cop here." She blinked up at me sleepily and mumbled something about coffee. I smiled and kissed her forehead. "No coffee yet, love. I have to talk to this guy first."

"Huh?" she asked, confused.

"Lemme out," I laughed, scrambling out of the car as the knocking persisted. Em followed behind me. The early morning May air hit us sharply. I hadn't realized how cold it was. Em wrapped her arms around my waist, huddling against me for warmth. We were both still dressed in our clothes from yesterday, and all she had on was a pair of ripped up jeans and a t-shirt. The police officer looked us up and down, raising his eyebrows. Then he shifted his gaze to Em.

"What's your name, miss?"

I felt her stiffen beside me. She knew immediately that her father had alerted the authorities of her disappearance, and they were now on our trail. Dammit. I'd thought we'd driven far enough in one day to escape that for a while.

"My name's Jessica Marshall and this is my boyfriend Gerard," she said. "I don't have any ID. I couldn't be bothered to take my driver's test. But he has his."

The officer narrowed his eyes. "I'm not all that interested in who he is. I'm looking for someone by the name of Emerson Quick, a seventeen year old runaway from Jersey City. I saw your car parked here, so I thought you kids may have had some engine trouble. But you look curiously similar to the description of the girl I'm looking for."

"Oh, I'm no runaway. I'm afraid you're mistaken. I don't even know a girl named Emerson. And besides, I'm eighteen." She smiled coyly.

"Why were you parked on the roadside? Didn't you have anywhere to stay?"

"We were actually on our way to Miami to meet a couple of friends of ours. We were driving, and one thing led to another…" Em raised her eyebrows suggestively and winked.

The officer looked uncomfortable and coughed. "Okay then. Be careful, and have fun in Miami, kids," he said. He still looked a little skeptical, be seemed willing to let it go. Em and I chorused our goodbyes and watched as the cop got back in his car and pulled away. As soon as he was gone, Em shrieked happily and leapt on me.

"Gerard, he fucking believed me! I can't believe it! What I told him was complete bullshit!" She stopped to take a breath and I kissed her.

"Good thing you're a fantastic liar, eh _Jessica_?" I teased, and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Phew, that was close. Brr," she said, her brow furrowing. "Why is it so fucking cold?"

I laughed, pulling her in close to me. "Maybe because we're standing out in the cold with no shoes on?"

"Maybe." Emerson wandered over to the trunk and lifted it, rummaging around for a heavy sweatshirt and some sweatpants. I gawped at her as she wriggled out of her skinny jeans and t-shirt, revealing her fantastic body. After pulling on the sweats, she grinned at me. "What?" God, did she kill me. I blushed deeply and shook my head.

"Nothing."

She danced back over to me and kissed my cheek. "C'mon Gee, let's go to Miami."

**Emerson's POV**

"I'M TRYING; AND TRYING TO LET YOU KNOW JUST HOW MUCH YOU MEAN TO ME! AND AFTER ALL THE THINGS WE PUT EACH OTHER THROUGH…!"

The sun was shining bright, the temperature was blazing, all the windows in the car were rolled down, and we had finally reached Miami! I could barely contain my excitement as Gerard and I screamed our song at the top of our lungs for the whole world to hear. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon, and even though it was only May, the Florida air was close and muggy, making my sweatshirt stick to my back. I could tell Gee was just as uncomfortable in his long sleeved black collared shirt. Oh how I wished this shit car had a working air conditioner!

To take my mind off of the heat, I began looking out the open window, watching the people that filled the streets of Miami. I admired all the ink I saw peeking out from tank tops and shorts clad bodies. I vaguely wondered if Gee and I would ever be one of those couples who got matching tattoos… that'd be way cool. But, oh yeah. I giggled to myself. I'd nearly forgotten. Gerard was absolutely terrified of needles.

"What's so funny Em?" Gee asked, nudging me with his elbow.

"Nothing, I swear," I grinned at him. "Man, it's burning up in here!" I tugged at the collar of my sweatshirt. "Do you mind if I…?" I left the question hanging and pulled the offending garment over my head, leaving me only in my bra. Gerard's eyes kept wandering over to me, so I poked him in the gut. "Eyes on the road, babe."

"We're not even barely moving!" he protested. "And the view next to me is infinitely better than the car in front of me."

"Given," I said, laughing. Gerard grinned before laying on the horn to alert the two pedestrians jaywalking in front of our car. He leaned out the window.

"Hey! Watch where the fuck you're going!" he growled.

The dark haired couple ducked their heads at Gerard's words. They were learning that a tired and coffee deprived Gee was an angry Gee. Poor kids. I looked at them closely. Even in the hot weather, they wore dark clothing that covered their arms and legs. The girl seemed frozen in front of the car, seemingly terrified by Gerard. The boy put his arm around the cowering girl protectively and flipped off Gerard. I smiled. They looked as if they were about fourteen (give or take) and they reminded me of Gerard and I when we were younger. As Gerard went to stick his head out of the window again to retaliate, I laid a hand on his arm. He leaned back in, giving me a confused look. Normally I'd be encouraging him to get back at the jaywalkers.

"Stop Gee. Let them go on. They remind me of us. Don't they?" We watched as the boy took the girl's hand and led her safely across the street. Gerard shrugged.

"I suppose."

I smiled at him and squeezed him arm. "They do, and you know it. Remember that one time when we took a bus all the way to New York City when I was fourteen? We nearly got run over a dozen times when we got there. Even though it was always our fault, you got so pissed off at those cab drivers! You were so protective of me that whole trip; you never let anything happen to me. If another guy would even so much as look in my direction, you'd give them the biggest death stare!" I giggled at his sheepish expression. "Don't think I didn't notice! You could scare the piss out of a Class A mobster with that look. That was the best day," I said wistfully. "Tell me something you remember."

"I remember…" Gerard began, carefully maneuvering the car through the busy streets. "The day you turned fifteen and you begged and begged for me to pierce your nose for you, cos you didn't have the guts. I agreed, but when I got the needle halfway through I puked. You had to finish the job and then comfort me, telling me it didn't hurt a bit. I acted like I believed you, but I could still tell your nose was throbbing. After we pierced it, we realized we didn't have a ring to put in it, so I drove you to Frank's house, the needle still in your nose so the hole wouldn't close, to steal one of his rings. Remember how hard he laughed at the sight of us? You with a bright red nose and me all queasy."

I giggled at the memory and touched my nose ring. That was a good one. I was about to launch into another story when Gee honked the horn sharply and grinned at me.

"We're here! We made it, Em!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**(still Em's POV)**

I looked up to see a big white house in front of us. I squeaked with excitement. So this was Bob's place. According to Ray Toro (another friend of ours), Bob Bryar lived alone in one of his father's many houses. He was about Gee's age, and he seemed like a pretty chill guy. He was a drummer, which was mega cool. I reached over to open the car door, but Gerard stopped me, a lopsided grin on his face.

"What?"

Gee nodded at my scantily clad chest. "Sweatshirt, Em, sweatshirt."

"But it's soooo hot outside!" I complained.

Gerard raised an eyebrow. I giggled and touched it. "Down, fuzzy worm thing!"

He smirked. "I think you'll find it to be called an eyebrow. Now seriously. Put on your sweatshirt so we can go inside."

"Fine," I sighed dramatically, making a big show of pulling to the offending garment.

"Good girl. Now let's go meet Bob."

**Bob's POV**

They're here! I couldn't wait to see Gerard again (who I'd met previously through Ray) and meet that girl… what was her name? Oh yes, Emerson. That was it. It gets lonely in this big house by myself, even though I throw parties all too often. My closest friend, Ray Toro, lives all the way in New Jersey, but he was finally coming here. After deciding that Gerard and Emerson would stay with me for a while on their escapade, Ray and I planned for him, Mikey (Gerard's younger brother) and Frank to come in a few days to surprise the runaways. They'd stay for a week or so, and have a blast partying with us all. I glanced out the window. Gerard and Emerson were finally getting out of the car. Time to go and welcome them!

**Gerard's POV**

"Welcome to Florida!"

I looked up to see Bob standing in front of us, a huge grin on his face.

"Gerard," he said warmly, stepping forward to give me a hug. "It's good to see you, man."

"Same," I replied, patting him on the shoulder.

'And you must be Em!" Bob said enthusiastically. He jumped forward to hug her as well. She laughed.

"It's good to finally meet you!" she said sincerely.

"C'mon in. I have to leave in a few minutes, but I'll show you to your rooms before I go."

Separate rooms? I glanced at Em. She saw my look and winked at me. Ha. I knew the different rooms wouldn't last long. Bob led us inside and pointed us in the right direction to our respective rooms before apologizing for leaving us so soon. Not that we minded. As soon as we heard Bob's car pull away, Em pounced on me, dragging me into her room. She tugged on my shirt, pulling me down onto the bed where she rolled on top of me, kissing my lips passionately. I returned her kisses eagerly. I felt so lucky to be the one to kiss this amazing girl. When Em slid her hands underneath my shirt, slowly lifting it up, my heart began slamming against the inside of my chest. Should I…? I tentatively began to remove her sweatshirt. When she didn't object, I pulled it over her head. By this point, my shirt was long gone, revealing my ghostly white skin. Em trailed her finger down my chest, smiling, her face inches from mine.

"You are seriously hot, Mr. Way," she whispered. I blushed at the compliment. I shivered with pleasure as she began kissing her way from my neck down my chest. I fumbled with her bra, having trouble getting it unbuckled. Em giggled. "Need some help, love?" She reached behind her and effortlessly unclasped the garment, sending it to the ground. I gawped at her body, making it her turn to blush. She ducked her head, hair falling over her face. Her self-consciousness left her in a minute, however, when she began to unbuckle my belt. I guided her sweatpants down her curvy hips, letting them fall to the floor. When she'd undone my belt, I wriggled out of my tight pants, relieving the building pressure of my pulsing member. When we'd both been freed from all of our clothing, Emerson resumed her kisses until I flipped her over so that I lay on top of her. I kissed her collarbone and she tilted her head back, tiny moans of pleasure escaping her lips. When I couldn't take it any longer, I moved my lips closer to her ear.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" I whispered. She turned her head and kissed my neck.

"Absolutely. There's no other person on earth who I'd want this with."

I smiled. Exactly what I'd wanted to hear. "Okay. I love you, Em." She kissed my again in reply. I slid my hand slowly down the inside of Em's smooth thigh, spreading her legs gently. She was trembling, and she looked up at me with those big blue eyes. She was terrified, I could tell. I lowered my lips to hers, kissing her softly, kissing her fears away.

"Are you ready?"

Em nodded and shut her eyes. I took a deep breath and slid my length inside of her, slowly at first, then faster; harder. She gasped, gripping the bed sheets below her. Our bodies got into a steady rhythm, rocking back and forth in perfect harmony. As we both got nearer to our climax, Emerson's hands slid over my back, her nails digging into my skin. She tilted her head back and bit her lip, trying to hold back. Our breathing was heavy and ragged, and before long we both tensed, reaching our peak. I let out a shaky breath, rolling off of Em and lying next to her. She lay still for a minute, her chest rising and falling heavily, before rolling over and resting her head on my bare chest. Her hair stuck to her forehead with sweat, as was mine. She traced the lines of my chest with her index finger.

"Gee?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Do you still love me?"

I cupped her chin with my hand, raising her eyes to mine. "Of course. Why would you even ask that?"

Em blushed. "I don't know. Because um, I don't know if you thought that was terrible, or…" her voice trailed off.

I smiled at her. "Listen to me. There's nothing you could ever do or say to make me love you any less. And for the record, that was wonderful."

She was quiet for a minute. "Even if I ate fifty billion donuts and turned grossly obese?" she asked in mock seriousness.

I snorted with laughter. "Even then."

She sighed contentedly and laid her head back down on my chest. "Okay."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**(still Gerard's POV)**

We lay there in silence, watching the early evening sun cast shadows over the things in the room. Time was lost, and we both jumped in surprise at Bob's voice coming through the door downstairs.

"Dinner, you guys!"

Em grinned and reluctantly pulled away from me. We both located our strewn undergarments, and I pulled on my pants, leaving the shirt. I knew Bob wouldn't mind. Em put on a pair of cutoffs and a tank top. She had this satisfied smile on her lips, and she kept glancing over at me shyly. I took her hand and we skipped down the stairs to join Bob for dinner. When we entered the kitchen, I could tell Bob knew immediately what we'd been up to. He didn't say anything, but calmly took in our messy hair and shy looks that we kept giving each other. He caught my eye and smiled knowingly.

After dinner, Em stood up and kissed my cheek. "I'm exhausted. Mind if I turn in?"

"Not at all. I'll be up in just a couple minutes."

She smiled and disappeared down the hall. As I watched her go, Bob cleared his throat.

"You really love her don't you?"

I turned around, surprised. "Come again?"

"You heard me. You love her a hell of a lot. I can tell by the way you look at her."

I gave Bob a strange look. "Um, yes. I love her more than life itself. I always have."

Bob laughed. "Sorry if that came off a little weird. I just thought I'd ask."

"It's fine."

"So when are you going to ask her to marry you?"

"What?"

"Do you have a hearing problem or something? I said, when are you going to ask her to marry you?" Bob tilted his head in curiosity.

"I would do it right now, but she's still only seventeen. Six more months," I sighed wistfully.

"Oh."

"Bob, what are you getting at?"

"Nothing, just curious. Hey, did I tell you that Ray, Mikey, and Frank are coming down? They'll be here by tomorrow night."

"Bob, you're a genius. Em'll love that."

"I do try. And I'm planning a huge party a few days before they leave in a couple weeks. It'll be your first REAL party. You and Em will have a blast."

"I bet. Thanks, man. You're a pal. I owe you. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah? I'm tuckered out."

**Emerson's POV**

When I woke up the next morning, I crept out of the room as quietly as I could so as to not wake Gerard. Still half asleep myself, I moved like a zombie to the kitchen where Bob was seated, reading a magazine.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," he said cheerfully upon my arrival.

"I. Need. Caffeine," I mumbled in reply. Bob smirked, motioning to a gurgling black object on the counter.

"Coffee's right there. Mugs are in the cabinet right above." I muttered my thanks and poured myself a much needed cup of the steaming brown liquid. Mm.

"Better?" Bob asked, raising a bushy eyebrow.

"Much better, thank you. What time is it anyways?"

He glanced at his watch. "About noon."

I frowned. "Shit. I didn't realize I'd slept so long."

"Your Gerard isn't much better. He's still asleep," Bob chuckled.

Gerard chose that moment to shuffle into the room, his hair sticking up in odd places and his eyes half closed. He wore only a pair of sweatpants, secured by a drawstring underneath his tummy. "Coffee," he moaned, just as I had a minute before. I popped up from my chair to wrap my arms around his waist.

"Morning, love," I said, and he smiled broadly before placing a kiss on my lips. I kissed him back for a moment before pulling away, a sly grin on my face. "Mm, morning breath. My favorite!" I teased.

"Hush, you. You're not much better," Gerard replied good naturedly. He wandered over to the coffee pot, grabbing himself a mug similar to mine.

"Well, lazy arses, since it's already noon, what do you say to me leaving you two lovebirds by yourselves until about three? That's when Ray, Mikey, and Frank are due to arrive."

I perked up. "The boys are coming?"

Bob nodded happily. "Yep! For three weeks, too! I hope you're ready to party. I'm throwing a bash right before they leave."

I bit my lip. There'd be alcohol at this 'party' of course. You know what though? Hell with it. I was going to try it. Why not let myself have some fun? Right. "I'm absolutely ready to party." Gerard looked at me wonderingly, probably surprised by my answer.

"Great. I'll leave you two to it then!" Bob chirped, winking at us before heading out the door. Gerard watched him go before turning to me.

"So," he smirked, leaning against the counter top. "Actually planning on partying, huh?"

I shrugged. "I mean, I know I sounds like one hell of a hypocrite after resenting alcohol for so long, but I kind of just want to be able to get over that and have some fun," I said sheepishly.

"So you don't mind if I drink?"

"I suppose not. I mean," I stepped up to Gerard, running my hand down his bare chest. "I think it'll be fun." Gerard shivered beneath my touch and I smiled up at him. "Gerard Arthur Way, have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"Not nearly enough," he replied, leaning down to kiss my lips tenderly. This time I didn't pull away.

**Ray's POV**

I couldn't wait to see Bob. I'd missed him so much, it was crazy. I glanced in the rearview mirror just in time to see Mikey pounce on Frank, grabbing at the packet of Skittles in Frank's hand. Frank cried out as Mikey knocked him from his seat.

"SKITTLES!" Mikey squealed joyfully, seizing the red packet of multicolored dots.

"Mikeyyy…" Frank groaned, crawling back into his seat. Mikey looked at him, eyes wide behind his glasses.

"What?"

I snorted at the two boys, thankful that we were nearly to Bob's. Mikey and Frank had been messing with each other the entire twenty one hour trip, and they were beginning to drive me insane. Even in the hotel room where we'd stayed the night they hadn't settled down. I sighed with relief at the sight of Bob's giant white house looming in front of us.

**Mikey's POV**

I fucking love Skittles.

**Frank's POV**

_Fucking Mikey. Stealing my Skittles. The little prick. Oh look, we're here. _All thoughts of my lost candy left my mind and my heart rate increased. Godammit. I really needed to get over her. I hated that she was in love with Gerard. Why couldn't that be me? I'd held onto the hope that she'd one day realize it was me she loved, not Gerard. But I had always known it was him Emerson loved. Hell, I'd known before she had. Just the way she looked at him… I'd give almost anything for her to look at me that way. And Gerard, as my best friend, was always telling me how much he cared for her. That killed me inside. But I never said anything. And I never would. I couldn't do that to them. Even though it hurt so fucking much.

I pushed thoughts of Emerson from my mind and clambered out of Ray's van after Mikey. It would be good to see Bob again, and right before we left there'd be a big party. That'd be fun; I love parties. Ray lugged our suitcases out of the van as Mikey and I crept inside. Bob's car wasn't in the driveway, but the house was unlocked, so we assumed Gerard and Em were inside. Mikey nudged my arm, poking his head halfway in the doorway.

"Let's sneak up on them," he whispered, grinning slyly. I nodded and followed him down the entry hall. We checked the spacious living room before heading to the kitchen. Mikey stifled a laugh when we heard the telltale sounds of kissing in there. My heart sank. Mikey cleared his throat and waltzed into the room. I reluctantly followed, watching as Em and Gerard pulled apart, blushing.

"Well I see you two are having fun," Mikey teased, whacking his brother's shoulder playfully. Gerard winked.

"You know it."

Emerson grinned and ruffled Mikey's hair. "Good to see you, Mikey Way," she giggled. Then she gave me a little wave. "Hey, Frankie."

I smiled weakly, hoping she wouldn't notice my lack of enthusiasm. Her brow furrowed and she frowned, but didn't say anything. I sighed. Now she was going to bother me about it later. Awesome.

"Where's Ray at?" Gerard asked me.

"Wrestling with our things, I guess."

"Well let's go help the poor Fro out!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**Emerson's POV**

Something was up with Frank. I needed to talk to him and ask him what was wrong. Nearly three weeks had passed, and he'd been avoiding me the entire time, making one excuse or another. My time was running out to speak to him before they left. Tonight was the big party that Bob had been planning, and people were just beginning to arrive. Oh well, now it was time to have some fun.

**Gerard's POV**

*a few hours later, approximately one a.m.*

The whole room was spinning, the hundreds of sweaty, bathing suit clad bodies wove back and forth to the pounding dance music. Where was I? Oh yeah, Bob's beach house. Why was I feeling so sick? Where was Emerson? I looked around for her frantically. Oh shit, bad idea. I moaned and stumbled over to a vacant couch, one that didn't have people making out. My head was pounding, and I couldn't exactly tell what was happening around me. I collapsed onto the couch and held my head in my hands. Too much alcohol, too much… ah, fuck it. I leaned over to the coffee table and grabbed another bottle of beer, pouring it down my throat. I laughed drunkenly at nothing in particular before falling back onto the couch.

**Emerson's POV**

"What the fuck is th-ˮ BAM. "Oh. A wall," I giggled hysterically after walking straight into a wall, sloshing the drink I had in my hand all over the place. I looked down at the now empty martini glass I held, confused. Where did my drink go? I could swear I was just sipping from it a second ago…

"Wooo," I hiccupped, stumbling out the back door of Bob's house onto the beach. Maybe I'd had a tad too much to drink. This being my first time having alcohol and all. But I was having a blast, so I couldn't be bothered to worry. I looked around the beach, where a massive bonfire was burning, for someone familiar. Most people were inside the house, so it wasn't hard to pick out Frank sitting in the sand, watching the fire. He was slumped forward, obviously drunk like the rest of us, occasionally taking a swig from the bottle he was holding. He was sitting alone, so I staggered over to him and crashed down into the sand beside him.

"Heyyy Fwankie," I slurred, leaning against his shoulder to catch my breath. "Where's Gee?"

He stiffened at the mention of Gerard. "I dunno where he is. Probably passed out somewhere," he growled. I frowned dramatically. I'd forgotten how moody Frank had been as of late. Now I could finally talk to him. I poked his shoulder and leaned back so I could look him in the eye.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? You've been acting like you've got a fuckin' tree up your ass."

Frank just smiled at me, his eyes travelling from my face down my body and back up. I shifted uncomfortably as his eyes lingered on my chest. I suddenly wished I had a towel or something to cover up my bikini clad body. Frank opened his mouth to speak.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" he purred, leaning closer to me. The light from the fire cast eerie shadows across his face, lighting up his eyes. I could smell the alcohol on his breath as his face came even closer to mine. His hand slid around the back of my neck, pulling my lips to his. My rational, sober mind was screaming at me to pull away, but my drunken body ignored it. I kissed him back, gliding my hands up his sides. Frank eagerly traced my lips with his tongue, causing them to part. I was lost, not even registering what I was doing. Kissing Frank wasn't anything like kissing Gerard. When Gerard kissed me, he kissed me like it was the last time he'd ever do so. He kissed me like his life depended on it. But Frank's kisses were… empty. They seemed to lack any emotion. Maybe it was because we were drunk, but something just didn't seem right. My mind realized this early on, but my body didn't respond until Frank had already pushed me back into the cold sand and was untying my bikini top. When my body finally caught up, I swatted at Frank's wandering hands and sat up sharply. He frowned, his hand still hooked to my bathing suit.

"What's wrong, darling?" he murmured, leaning back in to kiss me. _Stop him_, my mind screamed._ This is wrong. He's not Gerard, and you're both drunk. This isn't what you want. You love Gerard. _But then why did I kiss Frank so willingly just a few seconds ago? Ugh. My head was killing me. I put a hand on Frank's chest to stop his lips from finding mine.

"Frank, stop. I love Gerard, and just Gerard. We can't do this."

Frank sighed, dropping his hand from my body. He glared angrily at the ground, his jaw clenching and unclenching. "It's always Gerard," he muttered.

"What?"

He looked up, pain filling his eyes. "I said, it's always Gerard. Why, for once, can't I be the one you love? I've loved you for as long as I can remember, but you couldn't be bothered to return that."

I was shocked. Frank had just said he loved me? Had he meant it? I dropped my head into my hands and groaned. Frank was one of my best friends, and I _did _love him dearly; just not in a romantic way. There was only one person I could love like that, and that person was Gerard. A simple drunken kiss couldn't change that.

Frank pulled me into his arms. "I mean it, you know," he whispered in my ear. "You're beautiful, charming, and God, just a great girl."

I sniffed sadly, feeling a tear slide down my cheek. I didn't want to hurt Frank. But I didn't love him. So I pulled away from him. "Frankie, I'm sorry. You're a fantastic friend, but I could never be more than that with you. It just wouldn't work. I'm in love with Gerard. And I always will be."

Frank stared at me for a moment before standing abruptly. "I'm sorry you feel that way," he said coldly. He turned and stalked off down the beach, his shoulders hunched angrily. I suddenly felt the overwhelming need for sleep, so I lay down right there in the sand, curling into a ball and closing my eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**Gerard's POV**

Sunlight poured into the living room, blinding my tired eyes when I blinked them open. My head was throbbing, and I felt the need to puke. I slapped a hand over my mouth and sprinted to the bathroom where I immediately emptied my insides into the toilet bowl. After two solid minutes of heaving, I sat back and leaned against the wall, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. Eck. I suppose I must've drunk too much last night. But I'd had fun. Em and I had started drinking together, getting tipsy and dancing all over the place. Then we'd… oh. What had we done after that? I couldn't remember. I think I'd lost track of her after that, and then I passed out. I guess I should go find her. I left the bathroom after rising out my mouth and looked around. There were empty bottles everywhere, and there were still a few sleeping people on the floor. I shook my head. Some people had no qualms. Em wasn't among the sleepers, so I checked the other rooms. By the time I'd searched the whole house, I'd found Mikey asleep in a closet, Ray and Bob asleep in Bob's room, but no Emerson. Or Frank, for that matter. Mikey helped me continue looking, and we finally found her sleeping in the sand by the burnt out fire. Mikey left me to wake her and went off in search of Frank. I placed a hand on Em's shoulder, shaking it lightly. Her eyes flew open and she sat up sharply.

"The fuck? Oh, Ger- owww!" Em grabbed her head, wincing at the pain of her hangover. I laughed and pulled her into a hug.

"Morning, love. Sleep well?" I kidded. She froze and then jerked backwards, her eyes wide. My smile dropped.

"What's wrong, Em?"

"I- oh god. Gerard."

"What's going on?"

Em buried her face in her hands. "Oh man, I'm such a slut! Frank he- he kissed me! And he said that he loved me! But- but I kissed him back! I didn't stop him. I'm so sorry," she wailed. I just stared at her. She and Frank had kissed? But how could they? I felt my hands ball up into fists. _Calm down, Gerard. They were drunk. They didn't know any better. _I swallowed hard before speaking.

"You kissed him back?" I asked sadly. When she nodded, I felt my heart sink. "Oh, Em. Why? Do you love him?"

She shook her head frantically. "No! I didn't know what I was doing! We were both drunk. I know better than anyone that that's no excuse. I don't love him. You're the only person in this world I could ever love like that. Gerard, I love you so much it hurts." She squeezed her eyes shut, a few fat tears sliding down her cheeks. I sighed. There was no way I could stay mad at her. I loved her too much. But Frank… Anger boiled inside of me at the thought of him.

"Do you hate me now?"

I looked up, surprised. Em was peering at me from behind her dark hair, tears still shining in her eyes. I reached out to envelope her in a tight hug.

"I could never hate you. I've said this before, and I'll say it again. There's no way in hell I could hate you. I'm just kind of disappointed. And angry at Frank for trying something like that."

Em sniffed loudly and squeezed me tight. "I love you, Gee."

I kissed the top of her head. "I love you too. Now let's get you inside." She nodded in agreement, and I pulled her to her feet. Her hand found mine, and our fingers laced together. Em smiled at me and we started towards the house.

**Emerson's POV**

Thank god. Gerard didn't hate me. I peeked up at him walking beside me, our hands locked. A contented smile rested on his lips. I resisted the urge to grab him right there and kiss him. We were nearly to the house when I felt Gerard stiffen, his hand tightening on mine. I looked ahead to see Mikey striding towards us, Frank in tow. Shit.

"I found him asleep in a bush," Mikey piped up cheerfully, oblivious to the daggers Gerard was shooting Frank with his eyes.

"I wish you wouldn't have found him at all," Gerard hissed. Mikey looked from Frank to Gerard and back again.

"What? Why?" he asked, confused.

Gerard let go of my hand and stepped towards Frank menacingly. "Because this fucker thinks he can take advantage of my Em when she's drunk!" his voice rose in volume.

Mikey looked at Frank in astonishment. "Really?"

Frank's mouth hung open, bewildered. "I only kissed her! That's all…" he looked around helplessly.

"_That's all? _Oh because, you know, sucking face with the girl I'm in love with doesn't matter at all, is that it?" Gerard shouted, taking another step towards Frank.

"I- Gerard! I shouldn't have done that, okay? It was a moment of weakness! I can't help that I have feelings for her too… hey!"

Gerard lept on Frank, tackling him to the ground. Mikey jumped out of the way and I screamed, trying to get Gerard's attention. I was NOT going to watch him beat his best friend to a pulp. Gerard threw punch after punch at Frank, first to his stomach then to his face. Frank desperately swung back, sending blood spraying from busted lips and noses. The red spattered the boys' pale skin and clothes. I tried to rush in and separate them, but it was no use.

"Mikey!" I cried. "Call the fucking police. They're going to kill each other!" Mikey rushed inside and I began to sob. They were going to arrest Gee when they got here if this got much worse. I heard Frank let out a strangled cry as Gerard delivered a particularly hard punch to his groin. As Gee's fist was poised to strike again, a burly Bob catapulted on top of them, tackling Gerard. Gee struggled against his hold and spit in Frank's direction, bright red blood coming with it. Ray ran to Frank to help him up. I sank to the ground, tears pouring from my eyes. Mikey wrapped his arms around me, trying to lend some comfort. I looked up and glared at Gerard. He refused to meet my eye.

A few minutes later, two police officers hurried out, one running to Frank, the other to Gerard. I pulled myself up off the ground to go speak to the cop tending to Gerard.

"Afternoon, miss. Can you tell me what happened here?" he asked, peering at me curiously.

"Um, yes I can. My boyfriend," I paused, gesturing to Gerard, "got pissed off because Frank over there kissed me last night. He's uh, really sweet but can have quite a temper." I felt Gerard looking at me, but I refused to look up.

"I see. Just a squabble that got a bit out of control, is that it?" the officer asked kindly. I nodded.

"Just a misunderstanding, sir."

"You know what? I think I'll let these two go. But miss, I'm going to have to ask you to step out to my squad car."

My jaw dropped. "What? Why?"

"She's not going anywhere with you!" Gerard growled, putting an arm around me protectively. "She hasn't done anything!"

The officer regarded Gerard coolly. "As a matter of fact, she has done something. This is Emerson Renee Quick, the runaway from New Jersey. And you're Gerard Arthur Way, the boy she ran away with."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

**Gerard's POV**

Emerson leaned her head on my shoulder, lacing her fingers through mine. As I held her hand, I could feel her heartbeat. I was beating so fast, and her entire being was trembling. It was two days after the incident between me and Frank down in Florida, and Em and I were in the back of a squad car, driving down our street back in New Jersey. The cops who'd come to separate me and Frank had recognized Em immediately, and they'd driven us straight back home to Jersey.

I was terrified. I was now finally able to understand the fear Em had of her father. We had tried desperately to tell the police what he'd done to Em, but apparently her dad had told them that we would say something like that. He'd said Em was trying to condemn him because he didn't approve of her being with me all the time. A load of bull, obviously. The police said they'd take us home and have my car returned, but do nothing else. As far as they were concerned, the case of the runaways was closed.

When the police car ground to a stop in front of Em's house, I decided to give one last ditch attempt to convince them how awful her father could be. Especially if he'd found the gun and extra bullets.

"Officer, you've got to believe us. This man is dangerous. Please, it's only a few months until Emerson is eighteen, just let us stay away and keep ourselves safe. He might have a gun," I begged. Beside me, Em shuddered. The cop in the passenger seat turned around and shook his head.

"No can do, sonny. We've spoken to the girl's father. He's just a normal parent who's worried about his kid. And besides, what kind of man would shoot his own daughter?"

"My dad is that kind of man," Em said in a small voice. I squeezed her hand. God, I hated seeing her looking so defeated. I needed to protect her. It was my job. I would go to the ends of the earth to keep her safe.

"Let's go, Em," I said, pulling her from the car. "They're not going to help us. Pigs," I spat, shooting a glare at the officers and slamming the car door before they could say anything. We watched mournfully as the car pulled away.

The house was dark and quiet. Em stood next to me, trembling. Her blue eyes were wide with fear. "Where is he?" she whispered, her voice shaking.

"Looking for me?" her father's icy voice broke through the silence and his large frame filled the hallway before us. "So," he began, stepping closer. "Thought you could just up and leave me, did you? You little slut. And you," he snarled, turning on me. "Didn't think I'd ever notice how much time you spend with my daughter, turning her against me? Think again." He lunged forward, catching me off guard. His fingers curled painfully into my shoulders and her shoved me backwards. My head cracked hard against the wall. I sank to the ground, stunned. Em shrieked and tried to run to me, and that's when I saw it: the gun. Her father bashed me in the side of the head with it before aiming haphazardly at Em, pulling the trigger.

"No," I moaned, trying desperately to see straight. Em's scream was terrible as the bullet ripped through her abdomen. She fell to the ground only a few feet from me. I stretched my hand out. I had to get to her. But her father was moving slowly toward her, still pointing the gun.

"My only child," he said somewhat regretfully. Em squeezed her eyes shut in pain, pressing one hand to the bullet hole and trying to pull herself away from the madman with her other arm. There was nowhere for her to go however, as she was already backed up against a wall. Her father continued.

"I suppose it's not your fault you were born into this family, but you were. I hate you. You're the reason your mother left me. If it weren't for you, I'd still have her! But no, you had to come along and fuck up everything. Everything! And for that, you deserve to die." He cocked the gun and pointed it at Em's head. I cried out and threw myself in front of Emerson as the shot sounded.

**Emerson's POV**

"And for that, you deserve to die."

No. Please God, no. My father raised the gun and I hid behind my hands. Blood bubbled from the wound in my abdomen.

What came next happened so fast, I didn't know what was going on. Shouts from everywhere burst through the door. My father let out an outraged cry and pulled the trigger. I screamed, but didn't feel the pain of being shot. I heard a pained cry as Gerard hit the ground in front of me, the bullet hitting him in the stomach. My father was being tackled to the ground by a few of our neighbors, the gun knocked away. When I looked down at Gee, everything else seemed to stop. He was alive, clawing in agony at the gaping bullet hole in his gut.

"Gerard! Oh God, Gee," I sobbed, scrambling over to him, blood, his and mine, everywhere. I ignored my own terrible pain, focusing on him. I pulled Gerard into my arms, pressing a hand down onto his wound to try and stop the rushing blood.

"Em," he choked, gasping for breath.

"Shh, don't speak. You'll be okay, I promise. The neighbors got my dad and I'm sure they've called 911."

Gerard squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. "How bad is your wound?"

I tore my eyes away from his face to look down at myself. Crimson blood bubbled forth, and I felt as though I'd pass out any moment. But I couldn't worry about me. I looked back to Gerard. His face was paler than should be humanly possible and his chapped lips trembled. His hazel eyes were filled with pain.

"It's not that bad, really. I'll be fine," I lied. But he knew me too well. He placed one hand weakly over mine.

"You're lying to me. It's not good news, is it?" Gerard's eyes filled with tears. "We're not going to make it, are we?"

I shook my head fiercely. "Don't you say that, Gerard. We're not leaving yet. We've got too many things we need to do," I growled. Gerard smiled sadly.

"Hand in mine, into your icy blues. And then I'd say to you we could take to the highway with this trunk of ammunition too. I'd end my days with you in a hail of bullets…" As his weak voice sang the all too true lyrics to our song, the awful blood began to come forth from his mouth, spattering his nearly white lips as he coughed, the blood choking him. That's when I heard the sirens.

'Gerard!" I cried. "Hang on, please. The ambulance is nearly here. We're going to be okay."

"I love you, Emerson," he gasped, sending more blood across his pale skin. I leaned down to kiss his lips, his blood mixing with my tears. Pain shot through my side.

"Don't you say your goodbyes, Gerard. You'll be able to tell me you love me tomorrow. And the next day. And every single day for the rest of our lives. I swear to you." He smiled up at me and reached up to touch my cheek. He opened his mouth to say something, but the police and paramedics chose that moment to burst through the door. The EMTs surrounded us, and the police jumped on my father, who the neighbor was struggling to continue to hold down. EMTs began pulling Gerard away from me. I was starting to become hysterical, everything taking its toll on me. I screamed for Gerard as they moved us apart. Our hands were still tightly clasped and Gee's eyes were locked on mine. A woman knelt down beside me, prying my fingers form Gerard's. They lifted him onto a stretcher and whisked him from the room. I began sobbing uncontrollably, convinced I'd never see him again. The woman along with other medical personnel began lifting my upwards.

"Gerard! Put me down! Gerard!" I cried, squirming in their grasp.

"She's going into shock! Let's go!"

Everything around me blurred and I felt as if I was spiraling backwards, screaming soundlessly into the darkness.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

A/N: Hey guys. Sorry this one's a bit short, that's just the way it worked out. I'll make up for it in the next few chapters, I hope .

**Emerson's POV**

…beep…beep…beep…

Waking up was one of those moments when you think everything is normal and fine, but then things come back in a rush. That awful sinking feeling of despair, knowing everything is not okay.

I blinked slowly and observed my surroundings. I was lying on my back in a hospital bed, in a tiny white room. Each breath I took was agony and pain shot through my stomach with every inhale. My fingers met a rough white bandage that was wrapped tightly around my lower waist, covering the wound that had been induced by my father's bullet. The events of that fateful day came back full force, all at once. My father. He'd shot me first, then Gerard when he'd jumped in front of me. Gerard. Oh God. Where was Gerard?

I was alone. And not just in this room. In life as well, or so it seemed. Tears began rolling down my cheeks. The image of Gerard being pulled away, his fingers weakly clinging to mine, kept replaying in my head. Where was he now? Panic rose up inside of me. The walls seemed to be closing in on me and my breathing quickened. I cried out for Gerard even though I knew he wouldn't hear me. A nurse bustled into the room.

"Shh, darling. Everything's fine. You're okay."

"No, I'm not," I sobbed.

"Shh, yes you are."

"No! You need to listen to me! I'm not okay!"

"Calm down, sweetheart. You'll make things worse," the nurse crooned, he voice sickly sweet. I gagged, feeling the need to throw up. My stomach heaved, but nothing came up. I breathed in deeply and dropped back onto the pillow.

"What happened to me?" I asked softly. I needed to hear it from somebody else to fully understand.

The nurse looked at me doubtfully. "I'm not sure now would be the best time to explain. Maybe you'd like to wait until your Gerard wakes up? Providing he does, of course."

I frowned. "He can't sleep forever. Why don't you just go and wake him?"

She hesitated. "I wish it were that simple. You see, there's more to it than that. You've been here longer than you think. It's been five days since the shooting. We had to keep you under anesthesia so you wouldn't panic and hurt yourself more."

Five days? "And- and Gerard?"

"He's in a coma."

I stared at her. That couldn't be right. She must be mistaken. There must be another Gerard… "But how is that possible? He didn't have a head injury."

The nurse smiled sadly. "Unfortunately comas can come with just about any injury. He lost quite a bit more blood than you, although don't ask me how. When I saw you, I thought you would be the one in the most critical condition. But you're a fighter, I can tell. Anyways, by the time he reached us, he'd already blacked out, as you had. Just he hasn't woken up yet."

"How- how long will this coma last?"

"The doctors aren't sure. It could be hours, days, weeks… or he could never wake up."

I wanted to die right then when she said that. If Gerard didn't wake up, then what was my purpose here? Seeing the look on my face, the nurse added hastily, "Although things are looking promising. He's stable, so it shouldn't take too long now. Considering that, would you still like to wait for the doctor to speak with you?"

I nodded decisively. "Until Gerard wakes up."

Days passed. There was still no sign of Gerard coming around. Each day that went by, I felt less and less alive. I didn't even feel like myself anymore. I had this feeling inside of me that I couldn't explain. I knew something wasn't quite right with me. Each day I'd sit dry heaving into the toilet, the nurses watching me and shaking their heads sadly. I needed to know what had happened to me, but I couldn't deal with anything else until Gerard woke up.

Thirteen days after the shooting, my nurse (who's name I'd found to be Ellie) rushed into my room, a grin spread across her face.

"Emerson! You've got to get out of bed! Gerard seems to be waking up, and they're going to let you see him!"

"What are you on about?" I gasped, unsure if I'd heard her correctly.

"Gerard's waking up!"

I scrambled from the hospital bed into the wheelchair Ellie had waiting for me and she began pushing me to the ICU. Before entering, she leaned down and whispered in my ear. "Ready?"

I nodded fiercely. "Take me in." Ellie pushed the door open and wheeled me to one of the many rooms, similar to the one I'd been in. We reached Gerard's room and she pushed me over to his bedside before leaving quickly. Leaving me and Gerard alone. Finally.

His eyes were still shut. I took a deep breath and reached out to touch his cheek. I memorized his features: his ghostly pale skin, his stringy black hair, those long, feminine eyelashes. My throat was tight and I leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"Gee, you've got to wake up. What am I supposed to do without you? You know I love you."

His eyelids flickered and opened slowly. His eyes rested on me, widening in surprise.

"Em?"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

**Gerard's POV**

I gazed up into her big blue eyes. I thought I'd never see her again. Her eyes held the same look as the night we'd been taken from each other. The night we'd both been shot. My hands flew to my stomach. It was wrapped in bandages and it throbbed painfully. Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at the wrapping. A pair of hands found mine, resting on top of my stomach.

"Gerard," Em's voice whispered. "You're okay."

"I'm okay."

"I thought you'd never wake up. They said you'd lost so much blood…" her voice broke. "I couldn't have lived without you."

I met her eyes. "Are you alright? You were shot too."

Emerson lifted the corner of her hospital gown, revealing a bandage similar to mine. "I'm okay. No big deal."

"I missed you, Em."

She smiled and leaned over. Our lips met. Before I could do or say anything else, a doctor came into the room, making Em draw back, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Hello, Mr. Way. I'm your doctor, Dr. James. How are you feeling, son?" He stepped forward to take a peek at my heart monitor. "It appears as though you are stable. Very good."

"I'm feeling fine, considering," I replied.

"Good." Dr. James turned to Emerson. "And you must be Emerson. It's a pleasure," he said, shaking her hand warmly. "As I understand, you wanted to wait until Gerard here had woken to discuss the technicalities of that night?"  
>I glanced at Em. Her hand had tightened on mine and she nibbled her lower lip nervously. I was lost. Technicalities? What else was there to know? We'd been shot. No more, no less. Right?<p>

"You look confused, Gerard. Do you have any questions?" Dr. James asked.

"Yeah, I do. What's happened? How long have I been here? What are you talking about?"

Dr. James sighed and sat down on a nearby stool. "It's been thirteen days. You were in a coma. Emerson was medically induced, but woke up on the fifth day. Now, let me explain each of your injuries." He rose once more to pin up some x-rays to the light board. "These are yours, Gerard. The gun was fired very close to you, and the bullet entered just above your liver. It lodged there, which, in your case, was a good thing. It allowed us more time to operate before too much blood was lost. Although, as is obvious, you still lost quite a bit, which was what put you into the coma. We've been giving you blood transfusions all the while."

I honestly didn't care about what had happened to me. Emerson was the one I was worried about. I knew there was something she hadn't told me. Or maybe she herself didn't even know what that something was yet. "And Emerson?"

The doctor removed his glasses, rubbing his temple with an index finger. "With Emerson, things are a little more complicated," he said, hesitating. "Miss Quick, are you aware that you were pregnant when the shooting occurred?"

Had I heard him correctly? I looked quickly over at Em. Her eyes were wide and she was trembling.

"I- I was?"

"Yes, you were. But you see, the bullet ripped through your uterus, where the baby was growing and developing. As it had only been a couple of weeks since the baby was conceived, the fetus hadn't a chance. We were able to go in and stitch everything up, but normally that kind of injury is fatal. It's a miracle you are even alive."

Em let out a sob, and her hand fell from mine. I wanted so badly to reach over and hug her tight and comfort her.

"I'm terribly sorry, Miss Quick."

Em looked up slowly, her face wet with tears. "How- what happens to the baby now? I mean- is it still inside of me?" she said in a small voice.

"Since it was so early into your pregnancy, your body still has the ability to reabsorb the fetus. If that doesn't happen, you'll never know otherwise."

"Is that all?" Em asked, looking physically sick.

The doctor rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Well, not quite. As long as your stitches hold, you will be fine. It's a possibility, however, for them to come out and your uterus to burst. If that happens, you'll begin bleeding from the inside, and that's not good at all. If such things happen, and you'll know if they do, you need to get to a hospital as soon as possible," Dr. James said. Seeing the look on Em's face, he added quickly, "Now the possibility of that happening is very, very low. Don't worry about that. And one more thing. Unfortunately, Emerson, you're not going to be able to conceive another child."

"Ever again?" she asked, her voice wavering.

"Regrettably so. Now, I must be off to see to other patients. I'm very sorry, Miss Quick." And with that, the doctor left us to our misery.

I couldn't bear to look at Emerson. I felt awful. It was my fault. I should have protected her. The tears that I'd been holding back swelled forward. When would we ever get our break? I just wanted us to be happy and live. Really live. I wanted everything to be normal. But would they ever be? I was beginning to think we'd never be able to settle down and just be.

"Gerard?"

I looked up slowly, raising my eyes to Emerson's. The pain I found there was terrible. "Em, I'm so sorry." I watched as she tried desperately to smile. But despite her best efforts, the corners of her mouth fell and she let out a sob.

"A baby, Gerard! I've gotten our baby killed! I'm a murderer. How can I live with that?"

I leaned over and grabbed her shoulder. "Listen to me. It's in no way your fault. I should have protected you. But we can't change what happened. We'll get out of here, start our lives together. We've had enough happen to us that we deserve that, right?"

Emerson shook her head. "Don't you see? Things are never going be normal! And I keep bringing you down with me. I can't keep doing that to you. You have so much ahead of you. Start your band like you've always wanted! But me? I've got nothing left to do. I just can't live like this, Gerard."

I couldn't believe what she was saying. I searched her face frantically with my eyes. All the life had gone from her eyes and she sounded so sad and empty. This wasn't the Emerson I knew. "Em. Please don't say those things. Of course you have a future. It's with me! I'm nothing without you, honest."

Emerson pulled away from me, clutching her stomach. "I've got a dead human being inside of me. Our child. I can't do this!" she wailed, her voice rising.

"Stop. You'll be okay. Just wait until we're both released. You'll see."

She sighed. "I guess."

"That's my girl. I love you."

"I love you too, Gerard."

Weeks passed. I was given a clean bill of health, and upon my release from the hospital, I was given the keys to my own apartment as a gift from my parents. Now you've probably been wondering where my parents have been throughout this entire mess, am I right? The answer is that they've been here all along, totally supportive of both me and Em.

Anyways, I immediately pleaded with Ellie, the nurse who'd been in charge of Em's care until she was eighteen, to let her come and live with me.

"Please, Ellie. I need her, and she needs me. I'm sure she'll be happier with me. No offense," I added hastily.

The nurse smiled. "None taken, dear. And on many levels I am sure she would be happier with you. But I must warn you, the Emerson you knew before may be very different now. How would you deal with that?"

"I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"Your Em is what one would call a troubled soul. When you see her when she comes to visit you, she may act perfectly normal and maybe only a little bit off. But it's what you haven't seen, that you will soon, should she come and live with you, that's disturbing. She comes home from visiting you in the hospital and just lies down and sobs as if her little heart will just burst. Cries for hours. Cries so much that she makes herself sick and throws up. She refuses to eat. When I ask her what's troubling her, she just shakes her head and locks herself in her room. It's a miracle she manages to get out of bed every morning to come visit you. I think you're the only thing that keeps her going. Yes, I think she'd better go live with you."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

**Emerson's POV**

"Emerson, darling, get out of bed. We're moving you into Gerard's place today, remember? It's nearly noon."

"Okay. Give me some time."

"As you wish, dear."

I sighed and tried my best to convince my body to move from its position in my bed. I didn't want to go live with Gerard. He deserved so much better. I didn't want hom to see me like this. I'd been able to put on a happy façade when visiting him in the hospital, but as soon as I returned home, I cracked. If he thought he'd seen me at my worst, he hasn't seen anything yet.

I groaned pitifully and drug my body into the bathroom, spending the next few minutes puking into the toilet, as per my every morning. I was getting so weak. I hardly weighed much at all, as I hadn't eaten much since I'd been released from the hospital. I'd hidden how thin I was from Gerard by wearing baggy, thick clothing when I visited him, but I couldn't keep it up any longer. I know I sound insane, and maybe I am, but there's no way you could understand the pain I deal with on a daily basis. Not a physical pain, no. Something much worse.

"Are you ready?"

"Coming, Ellie."

**Gerard's POV**

I leapt up from my place on the couch at the sound of knocking on my apartment door. Emerson was finally here. An odd feeling of apprehension and nervousness filled me. If Emerson was as bad as Ellie had said, how would I be able to take seeing her so unhappy? No. She'd get better once we were together again. I opened the door.

"Emerson!"

She looked up at me with those big eyes. She held one simple suitcase and that was it. How sad she looked.

"Hello, Gerard," Em said, almost coldly. She stepped past me, setting down her suitcase. I moved to wrap my arms around her, but she backed away. I looked down at her, confused. I wasn't used to such formality between us.

"Em," I said sadly, taking her hand and sitting her down on the couch. "What's happened to you? What's made you so scared?"

She just shook her head. "I wish I knew, Gerard. I wish I could tell you what's wrong with me. But there are no words to describe the pain that rages through me every second, every minute, every hour of every day. I just feel… empty. Like there's no point in living anymore. This whole thing has affected me more than you could ever know. It's more than I can deal with. I hope you understand."

"Emerson, what are you saying?" I asked cautiously.

When she looked up, the look in her eyes frightened me. "I want you to let me go, Gerard."

"What?" I screeched.

"Not for someone else, no. I could never be with anyone else. I just want this to be over."

"If what you're asking is for me to let you kill yourself, here's my answer. No. Fucking. Way."

Tears spilled over the barriers of her eyes. "Please, Gerard," she whimpered. "I am begging you. Help me end this. I don't want to be in pain anymore."

God, I hated seeing her like this. It terrified me. "Emerson, please listen to me. I need you. If you don't want to live for yourself, let me be selfish and ask you to live for me. If you love me like I think you do, tell me that you'll never leave me. Or else tell me that you don't love me like you did yesterday." I watched the internal struggle Em had with herself, deciding her decision.

"Gerard," she sobbed, throwing herself into my arms. "I'll never leave you."

I held onto her tightly as sobs racked her small frame. The pain that she'd kept bottled up when visiting me poured out. Em's fingernails dug into my arms and she screamed silently into my chest.

A couple of weeks passed. I made sure that I was with Em at all times to make sure she didn't do anything drastic. She was very quiet and reserved, not at all like the Em I once knew. She barely moved from her spot on the couch or the bed. She would wake up in the middle of the night, sobbing hysterically. I'd hold her tight and lay awake with her for hours on end as the tears streamed down her face, both of us silently grieving. Her grieving for our lost baby, me grieving for the old Emerson. The Emerson I wanted so badly to return to me. But deep down I knew I'd never have that Emerson back.

Exactly one month after Em had moved in with me, Mikey called me up, speaking excitedly.

"Gerard! We've got it! We've got our first gig!"

I suppose I should fill you in a little bit. See, since I'd been released from the hospital, Mikey, Ray, Frank, Bob, and I had formed something of a little band. We'd rehearse in Frank's garage (I brought Em along every time, of course, even though she protested) three times a week. We didn't really have that much experience, and only had a couple of rough songs so far. Despite our protests, Mikey had been on a personal mission to get us a small gig in a local club. Apparently he'd succeeded.

"Great job, Mikes. Where at and when?"

"At Big Daddy's, tonight! Are you ready?"

"Tonight?" I looked over at Em who lay curled up on our bed, wrapped in blankets. She'd gotten what she said was the stomach flu two days earlier. "I- I guess I'm ready."

"Good. I'll see you at Frank's by five to load up the gear."

"See you then." I hung up and stared at the phone in my hands. I had wanted Em to be there if we ever got a chance to play for real. But I knew she'd refuse. I turned to her, biting my lip.

"Em?"

"Hm?" she groaned softly.

"Mikey's got us a show tonight at Big Daddy's. I don't suppose you want to come along?"

Em peered out from behind the blankets and sighed. "I'd love to come, but 'm really not feeling up to it today."

I sat down on the bed beside her. "I understand. But I don't want to leave you all by yourself. I- I'm afraid you'll do something to yourself."

"Gerard, I'm barely feeling well enough to talk to you right now, let alone to get up and attempt suicide."

I flinched at the word suicide. I looked down into her eyes. "Promise me you won't hurt yourself."

She stared back at me for a moment before responding. "I promise. When do you leave?"

"In just a little bit."

"Oh. Lay with me 'till then?" she pleaded, stretching a hand out. I immediately obliged and climbed into the bed beside her. She curled up against my chest and slid and arm around me. We lay there in silence a minute before Em raised herself up on one elbow to look me in the eye.

"Gerard, I love you. Always remember that."

I smiled at her sleepily. "I love you too, Em," I said before leaning forward to kiss her. To my surprise, she kissed me back. Really kissed me. It had been so long since we'd had a real kiss. I vaguely wondered what had gotten into her. As the kiss deepened, I suddenly felt something wet on my cheeks. I carefully pulled away. Em looked up at me, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" I asked, concerned. Em sniffed and swiped at the falling tears before burying her head in my chest.

"Because I love you so much, is all," she said softly, her voice muffled by my t-shirt. It was then that I caught a glimpse of my old Emerson. Maybe she was coming back to me after all. I put my arms around her and glanced at the clock on the wall. Damn. I needed to be gone in just a minute. I so badly wanted to stay with Emerson right now, but I knew she'd be here waiting for me when I got home.

"Em," I whispered. "I've got to go."

She pulled away, tears still shining in her eyes. "Good luck tonight. You guys are going to do so great. You're going to make it big someday."

"And you'll be right there along side us, the whole way."

Em didn't say anything, just reached up and touched my face gently. "Go. I love you."

I had an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach as I rolled from the bed. I shook it off as just a case of nerves about tonight and I leaned down to kiss Emerson one last time.


End file.
